New Directors Bring Science, Conservation, Finance & Education Expertise to the National Audubon Society Board

NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Six directors were named to Audubon's board at the organization's January meeting.  The new "class" includes prominent leaders in science, conservation, finance and education.

"This group reflects the dynamism of the changing Audubon Board. They have deep and respected scientific backgrounds; they are market-savvy environmentalists; they are educational leaders of stature. They represent the diverse mix of skills and expertise that can help the staff be even more effective," said David Yarnold, Audubon President & CEO.  "Audubon is one America's most trusted conservation brands, and we're committed to delivering more conservation impact across the Western hemisphere."

"It's a huge challenge, and this class joins a great Board that has demonstrated its commitment to Audubon, to nature and to helping people understand that individual action matters. We rely on the Board's counsel, from how Audubon can shape policies to curb climate change, to how we can better engage more people of all backgrounds in conservation."

The following are new members of Audubon's Board of Directors:

Jon A. Anda

As leader of the new UBS Securities Environmental Markets Group he spearheaded in September 2010, Jon A. Anda works with clean tech, utility, and industrial companies on the application of environmental policy analytics to financial decision making.  He began full time environmental markets work in 2007 at the Environmental Defense Fund and as a Visiting Fellow at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy at Duke University.  Prior, he spent 20 years at Morgan Stanley where he ran a number of business units, including Global Capital Markets, Corporate Finance, Equity Capital Markets, Investment Banking & Equities in Asia, and served as a Vice Chairman of Institutional Securities. Anda is a trustee of the Asia Society, where he founded the U.S. – China Cooperation on Energy & Climate.

Joseph H. Ellis

Partner and Advisory Director at Goldman, Sachs & Company prior to his retirement in 1995, Joe Ellis was the firm's principal liaison and consultant with retailers around the world. He has also served as Vice Chair of  the Board of Trustees of The New York State Nature Conservancy, and is on the Board of Trustees of RARE (a non-profit organization specializing in environmental conservation and sustainable economic development in developing countries), the Governing Council of the Wilderness Society, and the President's Council of the World Wildlife Fund. Ellis is author of Ahead of the Curve: A Commonsense Guide to Forecasting Business and Market Cycles, published in October 2005 by Harvard Business School Press, as well as Birds in Wood and Paint: American Miniature Bird Carvings and Their Carvers, 1900-1970, published in October 2009 by University Press of New England.

Terry Root, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Professor by Courtesy in Biology at Stanford University, Terry Root was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change that received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Vice President Gore. Her pioneering research, some based on National Audubon's Christmas Bird Count data, has demonstrated that plants and animals are already experiencing impacts from climate change, including range shifts and altered nesting and migration patterns. She was also recipient of the 2010 Spirit of Defenders Award for Science and the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Award, among other awards. She is on the board of Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science and the scientific advisory board of Defenders of Wildlife.

Leigh Altadonna

Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Abington, Pennsylvania, Leigh Altadonna will serve as Audubon's Eastern Regional Director.  His long history of Audubon leadership includes service as president of the Audubon Council of Pennsylvania and Vice Chairman of Audubon Pennsylvania's board of directors. He currently chairs the stewardship board of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove and serves as a board member of the Wyncote Audubon Society. He is also on the boards of the Abington Educational Foundation, Abington Community Taskforce, Montgomery County Advisory Board for History and Cultural Arts, and the Abington YMCA.

Joy Hester

Joy Hester, retired attorney, dedicated conservationist, and avid birder will serve as Audubon's Southwest Regional Director. Currently a member of the executive committee of the Houston Audubon Society board, Hester was previously the chapter's president and a member of the Audubon Texas Board. Honored in 2005 by the Houston-Galveston Citizens Environmental Coalition's Founders Award, Hester has served on the boards of Texas Land Trust Council and Galveston Bay Foundation. A retired attorney with expertise in land transactions and contract issues, she was instrumental in the Houston Audubon Society's successful efforts to expand the area protected by its sanctuary system.

Frank Gill, Ph.D.

Most recently serving as Audubon's interim president, renowned ornithologist Frank Gill has returned to the Audubon Board.  Gill previously served as Audubon's Chief Scientist, spearheading the Important Bird Areas program and pioneering new citizen science initiatives including the Great Backyard Bird Count. A former Vice President of the Academy of Natural Sciences and past President of the American Ornithologists' Union, Gill is the author of a text book, Ornithology, 3e.

Read about other members of the Audubon Board.

Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.

SOURCE National Audubon Society